Riou, Do You Want My Carrots?
by suishui
Summary: After a failed attempt at escape, Jowy and Riou eat a meal together and Riou discovers Jowy doesn't eat carrots.


Jowy sat in the cell, his shirt damp from sweat.

All his efforts, for naught. He still felt that he owed Riou an apology; he turned to the other boy, who was sitting in the opposite corner of their cell.

"Sorry."

Riou was silent as always. The other boy's only response was to pull his legs close to his chest, and rest his head on them. Jowy felt that Riou might have been disappointed. No, he _must_ have.

He knew the feeling of having his spirits lifted only to have them dashed at the next possible moment. He didn't like it. The figure of his stepfather flashed in his mind and he pressed on, just to focus on something else.

"I heard a rumor that a young man was behind held prisoner here, and so I came to save you."

Jowy caught Riou looking at him, but the other boy quickly turned his gaze away. He didn't blame Riou for his reaction. It was him being rash, all because he wanted to see his friend alive. He hoped that Riou shared his sentiments, but all he could see in Riou was disappointment and lethargy.

He softened his voice, and glanced away. "... sorry."

"It's okay, Jowy. You were just trying to help, and we were outnumbered at the end."

Jowy glanced up, and saw Riou's smiling face, but the expression in his eyes said more than the smile did. He couldn't help but feel that he'd just let his friend down.

After all, he could still hear the response he received from Riou when he barged into the fortress. He recognized how excited his friend was to see him, how happy he was at the prospect of rescue.

"Yeah."

That was the only word Jowy managed to say.

"I'm sorry for getting you caught, too."

Jowy didn't answer, and pretended he couldn't hear Riou's apology when the gate to the cell swung open.

Riou took the food from Pohl happily, and set it before him. He started eating, and glanced at Jowy with his wide eyes. He tilted his head towards the food, mouth stuffed full with rice and broth.

"Mffy. Mmff fft mffgh."

Pohl exhaled through his mouth, and glanced at Jowy. He couldn't blame him for not being able to eat. After all, Jowy just had his escape plan foiled, and while he knew that none of them at the fortress had any untoward intentions towards the two boys, he wasn't sure if the two of them thought the same about them.

Especially Jowy. The way he was looking at him and the food made Pohl think that Jowy thought it poisoned.

"Sorry. I know this food isn't too good, but try to eat it all."

Riou said a few more muffled words that seemed to back him up, but Jowy didn't seem convinced in the least. Pohl felt his chef's pride take a hit. He put effort and heart into his cooking.

Instead of speaking to Jowy (and hurting even more of his pride), Pohl turned to Riou.

"Riou, I don't blame you for trying to escape. but please don't do it again. The boss will let you out of here soon enough."

Riou's response was to look at Pohl, and turn back to his food. Jowy stole a glance at his friend; he didn't seem to be bothered by the man's words at all. In fact, he seemed content with being fed and cooped up in a cell, as long as the prospect of freedom loomed somewhere in the near future.

He decided to break his silence before he spilt his plate of broth. He'd nearly overturned it when Pohl insinuated that Riou had planned the escape, and their not planning to let him out of prison. Jowy didn't like the sound of it; was he going to be executed? He steadied his plate, and turned to Pohl.

"Excuse me? Could I please have a spoon?"

The man laughed.

"A spoon? For your soup? Aren't we the fine nobleman?"

Jowy's lips thinned, but he forced them into a smile.

"Wait a minute. I'll get you one."

Jowy turned back to the rice and broth, his fist clenched atop his knee. He willed himself to focus on the floating pieces of carrot, and how they'd been cut into neat, triangular shapes. He started counting them, but he didn't realize he'd been doing it aloud until Riou said something.

"Jowy? Are you alright?"

He paused, and said the first thing that popped into his mind.

"Riou ... do you ..."

Riou waited. Didn't even touch his slice of fish.

"... want my carrots?"

"You don't eat carrots?"

Jowy did, but he said nothing about it.

"I don't."

Riou laughed, and reached for Jowy's spoon.

"Alright. Trade you my potatoes for your carrots."

Jowy watched as Riou exchanged their vegetables, and tried his best to not think about Pohl's words, Riou's face, and his irrationality.

He didn't plan the escape. He didn't want to disappoint Riou. He didn't want to beat up two guards on the way in. He didn't want to act recklessly, but the fact that he had remained.

"Jowy?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to try to escape?"

Jowy just wanted to save his friend. One of his few friends who hadn't looked down upon him or shunned him. He didn't like the way Riou said that it was just him who was going to break out of prison, and neither did he enjoy Pohl's comment about letting only Riou out.

"Yeah. _We're_ going to bust out of here."


End file.
